By PTI
LOS ANGELES: Actor Ewan McGregor says reprising his legendary “Star Wars” role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for the upcoming Disney Plus limited series has been an “absolutely brilliant” experience.
The 50-year-old actor said he is enjoying every bit of playing the character he first essayed in George Lucas’ “The Phantom Menace” (1999).
He came back for its two sequels — “Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Revenge of the Sith” (2005) — with the latter marking his final appearance as the character.
Teasing his return to the franchise during an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, McGregor said, “I’m not saying anything! But to come back to play him again, Obi-Wan Kenobi, has been absolutely brilliant. I’m really enjoying it.”
The Golden Globe winner said he has been avoiding questions related to his “Star Wars” come back since 2005.
“That was annoying,” McGregor said.
“Every interview I ever did for, you know, years, people would say, ‘Well, are the rumors true?’ ” “And I’d have to sort of, I’d have to lie. I’d have to say, ‘Well, you know, I don’t know. I’d be happy to play him one day again.’ I’d have to just keep saying, It started looking like I was sort of asking Disney for a job,” he added.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most pivotal characters of the “Star Wars” universe.
He was first portrayed by legendary actor Alec Guinness in the original 1977 movie “A New Hope”.
Guinness later appeared as a force ghost in the two-follow-ups — “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983).
The limited series, based on the character and starring McGregor, was announced in August 2019.
“John Wick: Chapter 3” executive producer Joby Harold is writing the series, with Deborah Chow attached to direct.
It will be a single-season, six-episode show set eight years after “Revenge of the Sith” and 11 years before “A New Hope”.
The cast also includes Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Kumail Nanjiani, Maya Erskine, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend and Benny Safdie.
